Puzzle



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. KBISER.

PUZZLE. No. 555.288 Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

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' A. KEISER.

PUZZLE.

No. 555,288. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

ANDRE'W KEISER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,288, dated February 25, 1896.

7 Application filed September 5, 1895. Serial No. 561,543. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW KEISER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates in general to games and toys, and more particularly to that class known as puzzles, and has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and easily constructed device that will afford much amusement and at the same time will be educational to the operator.

In my invention I have constructed a puzzle more particularly designed for use at times of national conventions and elections, and in the accompanying drawings I have shown the puzzle adapted to be used for the national election of 1806, although any names of parties may be substituted as desired and used for any election or convention, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

My invention has for its further object to construct a puzzle that will require considerable skill to manipulate to bring about the desired resulti. 6., to nominate and elect a favorite candidate.

IVith the above and other objects in view the invention finally consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter more particularly described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the different views, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my puzzle. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line X X of Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the triangular indicator. Fig. 4is a top plan view of one of the gates. with the cover removed. tudinal sectional view.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the box, which is provided with a partial cover 2, said cover having apertures 3 3 3 3 3 and 3 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view Fig. 6 is a longi- The box 1 is also provided with partitions 4 4 4 4, said partitions having pivotal] y hinged thereto gates 5 5 5 5. The box 1 is also partitioned at 6, at its upper end, said partitions being provided with apertures 7 7 7 7. The box 1 is also provided at its lower end with a triangular-shaped indicator 8, pivoted at both ends and extending the entire width of the box 1, and carries a handle 9 for operating the same. The partitions 4 4 44 are also provided with apertures 10 1O 10 10 to allow the marbles to pass from one compartment to another. The upper portion of the box 1 is also provided with a horizontal partition 7 forming an upper and lower compartment, the said upper compartment having the cover 2, the other portion of the box remaining open to view. The apertures or holes 3 3 in the cover 2 lead to the upper compartment, and

the lower compartment is provided with apertures or holes 11 11 11 11 11, which are in alignment with the holes 3 3 3 3 3 in the cover 2. A strip 12 extends transversely across the box, said strip having an inclined face eX- tending from the upper side of the box or casing. The upper compartment is subdivided by a series of transverse partitions 6 the back compartment not being connected with the others of the top series, but having openings 11, as above stated. The forward compartments above have various holes 11 leadingto the lower compartments. The particular arrangement of these holes may be varied somewhat, as their exact location is immaterial.

To operate my puzzle it is the intention to use balls or marbles to represent the Republican, Democratic and doubtful States, and one ball or marble represents all of the Democratic States, one to represent all of the Republican States, and one for each of the doubtful States. The marble representing the Democratic States is deposited in such a manner as to have it count (after being manipulated) for the Democratic candidate, and the one representing the Republican States to do likewise for the Republican candidate. The remaining balls or marbles are to be deposited in the apertures or holes 3 3, and it will be noted that the result as to the successful candidate will be dependent upon the compartment into which these marbles enter and the manner in which the operator manipulates them. It will also be observed that when the marbles have been deposited in the compart ments and have passed from one into another compartment formed by the partitions in the box they can be manipulated to difierent compartments of the box by tilting the same, which action will cause the swinging gates to operate on their hinges and allow the marbles to pass through the openings 10 1O 1O 10 and from there to the credit of the particular candidate whose name appears in that compartment.

The marbles representing the sure votes of the Democratic and Republican candidates are of a larger size than those designed to represent the doubtful States'to be manipulated within the box, and will therefore remain in their respective compartments and cannot be manipulated so as to be passed through the gates.

On the same principle it will be noted that a convention could beconducted by having one marble represent a certain group of delegates-21. 6., from the Silver States or from the Solid South, (SIC.

Although this puzzle is particularly designed for the above purpose, yet it will be seen that the principle involved may be applied to various games.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction of my puzzle without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, a box having at its upper end compartments divided by a horizontal partition, the upper compartment being further divided by'transverse partitions, an apertured cover arranged thereon, partitions in the box having passages gates controlling the passages, the various partitions being provided with openings to produce a circuitous passage from the aper tures of the lid to the indicator at the bottom of the box, as and for the purpose described.

2. In a device of the character described, a box provided with partitions forming compartments with passages through the partitions double gates controlling the passages, upper and lower compartments at the end of the box and a cover over the compartments provided with apertures, as and for the purpose described.

3. In a device of the character described, a box having upper and lower communicating compartments at one end, an apertured cover over the compartments, partitions in the box having passages and double gates pivoted to the partitions to control the passages, for the purpose described.

et. A puzzle consisting of a box-having longitudinal partitions with the passages, double gates controlling the passages, a transverse strip having an inclined face, upper and lower compartments formed at the upper end of the box, the upper compartment being divided into transverse compartments an apertured cover on the upper compartment, the horizontal partitions 7 having apertures connecting the various compartments as and for the purpose described.

5. A puzzle consisting of a boxhaving longitudinal partitions with passages double gates controlling the passages, a transverse strip having an inclined face, the upper and lower compartments formed at the upper end of the box, the upper compartment being divided into transverse compartments the back one of which is disconnected from the others, the floor of the upper compartments having aperturesor passages as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW KEISER. lVitnesses:

ALFRED M. \VILsoN, H. E. SEIBERT. 

